Revealed: how companies ‘secretly’ use billions of litres of public water in drought-hit England

Collective training exercises for UK-based units to be suspended for most of this year amid budget pressuresThe British army has been ordered to halt non-essential training exercises in an effort to save money.Troops preparing to be deployed or on deployments, those who are on standby or in a quick-reaction role will continue to train as normal. But collective training exercises for UK-based units are being suspended for most of this year amid budget pressures. Continue reading...

‘Challenging’ weather conditions and lack of snowfall are being blamed after a winter that broke multiple heat records Major Australian alpine resorts are closing their ski operations up to a month early after a winter that broke multiple records for heat with limited snow falls being washed away by rain.Predictions in June that a building El Niño could combine with global heating for a challenging ski season came to pass, with seven resorts either already closed or announcing ski lifts will stop operating this weekend.Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter Continue reading...

Charles says claims by developer Jean Nassif in an intercepted phone call that ‘we’re reshuffling the government’ did not reflect promises allegedly made to NassifFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe younger brother of Dominic Perrottet has denied asking his brother to appoint a cabinet minister to achieve outcomes for a property developer, a corruption inquiry has heard.Charles Perrottet told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) on Friday that claims made in an intercepted phone call featuring developer Jean Nassif days before his brother became the NSW premier – in which Nassif described Dominic Perrottet as “my boy” – did not reflect promises allegedly made to Nassif. Continue reading...

National Audit Office urges government to act as climate crisis, disease and cyberattacks pose growing risksThe climate crisis, disease and cyber-attacks pose growing risks to the UK’s food supplies and the government needs to act to make the system more resilient, according to the public spending watchdog.The National Audit Office (NAO) is urging the Department for Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) to work more closely with households, communities and businesses to ensure the flow of crucial food into the country can withstand supply shocks that are becoming increasingly common and severe. Continue reading...

Governments now moving faster to impose costs on Moscow for its increasing attacks over support for UkraineRussia’s suspected sabotage campaign across Europe appears to be gathering pace again, confronting governments with a problem they have struggled to solve since the start of the war in Ukraine: how to impose a meaningful cost on Moscow for attacks that remain deliberately below the threshold of conventional war.Over the past month alone, an explosives-laden drone was discovered next to a Ukrainian cargo plane at Germany’s Leipzig airport, Poland has faced suspected acts of sabotage, and a string of unexplained explosions and fires have hit defence facilities supplying Ukraine across Europe. Continue reading...

President cites Donald Trump’s suggestion that he might reconsider US support for British sovereignty, and threatens swifter sanctions on British oil interestsPresident Javier Milei has said “winds of change favourable” to Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands were “blowing around the world” in a televised address, citing signs that Donald Trump might reconsider the US position on the islands’ sovereignty.“Recently, President Trump declared that the US is re-evaluating its historic position in relation to the Malvinas,” he said, using the Argentinian name for the islands. Continue reading...

As polls point to victory in Saxony-Anhalt for AfD party promising deportations, people face agonising choice: stay or goAs the Bible study session wrapped up, leaving worshippers to mingle over cake and coffee, Fatemeh, 44, fought back tears as the conversation turned to Sunday’s state election in Saxony-Anhalt.“I worry about it every day,” she said. “I can’t stop thinking about my son and what might happen to us.”Fatemeh worries about what might happen after the elections. Photograph: Christian Jungeblodt/The Guardian Continue reading...

New record for Australia as more than 27,000 EVs sold in August, driven by the rising cost of fuel and new government policyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastElectric vehicle sales in Australia exceeded petrol cars for the first time last month as a transformation driven by high fuel prices and government policy encouraging clean car uptake accelerated.More than 27,000 EVs were sold in August, a new record for a single month and representing 24.9% of new cars sold. The climate-friendly technology surpassed both petrol vehicles (nearly 26,000 sold) and diesel cars (23,600). Continue reading...

Daniel Billings said ‘I did what I did’ in call from friend’s house after 2024 domestic violence murderFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo hours after Daniel Billings murdered his ex-girlfriend Molly Ticehurst in a frenzied stabbing he spoke to a woman he had met on Tinder.“I’m sorry I murdered her,” Billings told the woman during a phone call at 2.02am on 22 April 2024. Continue reading...

Togo-sponsored resolution calls to phase out traditional map that depicts continent as similar size to GreenlandThe UN general assembly will vote on Friday on a resolution for the world to formally phase out the traditional Mercator map of the globe in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa’s size.Robert Dussey, Togo’s foreign affairs minister, said the resolution was sponsored by Togo and backed by countries including the African Union’s 54 other member states. He did not specify the total number. Continue reading...

Republican candidate Thomas Ross and his former campaign manager devised a plan to stash drugs in their opponent Louise Secker’s purse or vehicleA Missouri House race has been rocked by the Wednesday arrest of Republican candidate Thomas Ross, whom prosecutors accuse of attempting to frame his primary opponent Louise Secker for cocaine possession.In June, Ross allegedly gave his former campaign manager, identified by the initials “CS” in court documents, a bag of cocaine and Adderall. The two devised a plan for the former manager to stash the drugs in Secker’s purse or vehicle. Continue reading...